South Shore Aboard Travel Fair

A tourism delegation representing the South Shore is finalizing plans for participation in Canada's largest industry promotion in the United States this year, a floating travel fair aboard Bay Ferries high-speed catamaran, the CAT. The promotion takes place in Boston, May 14-16.

The South Shore participants will be among 160 tourism industry and trade representatives from Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The CAT will dock next to the USS Constitution at the Charlestown Navy Yard at Boston National Historical Park. Organizers of the promotion anticipate more than 15,000 Bostonians will visit the public event over the weekend.

Participants from the South Shore include representatives of the following groups: South Shore Tourism Association; White Point Beach Lodge; Lunenburg Queens Regional Development Authority; Oak Island Inn & Marina; Best Western Mermaid; Rodd Colony Harbour Inn; Yarmouth County Tourism Association; White Point Beach Lodge; Manor Inn; and Destination St. Margaret's Bay Tourism Action Committee. Representatives of the Taste of Nova Scotia program, Golf Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Adventure Tourism Association will also travel aboard the vessel.

"We've had an overwhelming response from Nova Scotia's tourism industry enthused to participate in this promotion. It is sold out," said Doug Fawthrop, chair of the Nova Scotia Tourism Partnership Council. "The positive response has allowed us to grow the event to include all key attractions in such areas as music, animation, history, culture and nature-based tourism."

Bostonians are invited to climb aboard Canada's biggest CAT and experience Nova Scotia. Visitors will tour the CAT and spend time meeting with South Shore operators in a travel fair on the ship's car deck. Dockside, visitors will be entertained with an audio-visual presentation and a showcase of music and entertainment from up-and-coming Nova Scotia musicians.

Historical re-enactors from Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, Fortress of Louisbourg and Port Royal will demonstrate for New Englanders the reasons behind Nova Scotia's claim of having "the best living history in Canada." They will be joined by Acadian Dancers from the Yarmouth area, traditional rug hookers from Cheticamp, three members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Anne of Green Gables, as part of the program to whet the appetite of potential visitors.

In total, almost one million pieces of literature, dozens of display booths and flags and banners will be packed aboard the CAT in Yarmouth on May 12. The promotion will leave for Boston the next day.

Premier Russell MacLellan, Economic Development and Tourism Minister Manning MacDonald and Bay Ferries president Mitchell MacLean will host a business cruise on the CAT in Boston Harbour on May 14. This special sailing offers participants opportunities to meet with more than 300 guests from a cross-section of New England's private sector, travel-trade industry and travel media.

"Together with our tourism partners, we've taken enormous steps forward in growing our local industry. In fact, the results have been record-breaking," said Premier MacLellan. "Our participation in the CAT promotion is sure to bring us the kind of attention we want to better even last year's tourism revenues."

"Nova Scotia's tourism industry has earned a reputation for outstanding promotions which capture attention and increase our awareness in key markets," said Economic Development and Tourism Minster Manning MacDonald. "New England is our most important U.S. market, and we look forward to great results from this event."

Partners in the promotion are the provinces of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Bay Ferries, the Canadian Tourism Commission and the Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership as well as the Nova Scotia Celebrate Our Music Program and Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation.

The Nova Scotia tourism industry, which topped $1.1 billion in revenues last year, employs more than 33,000 Nova Scotians with a payroll of about $430 million.